Ohio State excellence is not exclusive to the football field or basketball court. Around the Oval is our way of keeping you informed about the amazing achievements of the other 34 varsity teams on campus.
Belanger Wins Fencing Championship
Senior Marc-Antoine Blais Belanger of Montreal claimed the NCAA title in the men’s epee fencing championship Saturday. Belanger won the event in his fourth appearance at the championships. He is the first Buckeye to claim the title since Marco Canevari in 2013.
The Buckeyes finished third in the team contest with 147 points. Blais Belanger and Domenik Koch earned first team All-American honors. Koch finished third in the men's sabre.
The women’s team added 76 points to the team total with four fencers in the top ten. Sarah Merza, Camilla Rivano and Emma von Dadelszen all placed sixth in their respective events.
Men's Tennis Scores Commanding Victories Against Michigan State and Michigan
The Buckeyes started the weekend strong on Friday with a 7-0 win versus Michigan State. The second-ranked team collectively dropped one set as they cruised to victory in East Lansing. It was the team's ninth sweep this season.
Its go time pic.twitter.com/QoYXAZhxcp
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioState_MTEN) March 25, 2018
On Sunday, the men's tennis squad faced eighth-ranked Michigan in a critical top-ten and conference rivalry match.
In doubles, the Buckeyes and the Wolverines locked into tight competition on all three courts. The close games and multiple lead changes constituted the team's mot formidable doubles challenge of the season. When all was said and done, however, Ohio State won two courts and left one match unfinished to claim the doubles point.
In singles, Ohio State came out firing on all cylinders. On the first singles court, fourth-ranked Mikael Torpegaard defeated fifth-ranked Alex Knight by a crushing 6-2, 6-0 margin. Torpegaard, a two-time singles all-American, was the Big Ten player of the year in 2016.
After going down early, 43-ranked JJ Wold came back to defeat Michigan's 27-ranked Runhao Hua 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7). 78-ranked John McNally defeated Cater Lin 6-2, 6-2 at third singles, Martin Joyce beat Mattias Siimar 6-2, 6-1at fifth singles and Hunter Tubert battled to pull off a ferociously contested 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 1-0 (10-8) win versus Davis Crocker on the sixth court. Only Michigan's Myles Schalet was able to pull off a close 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 1-0 (10-3) win versus Ohio State's Kyle Seelig.
This never gets old, especially against that team up north #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/gLEgyPP2Fx
— Ohio State M Tennis (@OhioState_MTEN) March 25, 2018
The Buckeyes won the day against their northern rivals by a commanding 6 courts to 1. After the weekend, men's tennis improved to 16-2 this season and 3-0 in Big Ten play. The team next faces 35-ranked Minnesota.
Women's Rowing Finishes 9-1 Versus Ivy League Rivals
Ohio State Dept. of Athletics.
The women's rowing team opened the spring season with dominant performances against Harvard and Yale in Camden, New Jersey.
The crew bested Harvard in all five races of the day. The first varsity four notched a particularly impressive 15-plus second victory over Harvard. The second varsity eight earned an open-water victory, finishing 12.2 seconds ahead of the Crimson.
Great way to start the 2018 season! We claimed 9wins today on the Cooper River in New Jersey against Yale and Harvard! #GoBucks #RowBucks pic.twitter.com/AZJgJvUHTa
— OSU Women's Rowing (@OhioState_WROW) March 24, 2018
Yale fared only slightly better. While the Bulldogs' varsity eight was able to best the Buckeyes, the rest of the roster more than compensated for the defeat by winning the remaining four races of the contest: 2V8, 1V4, 2V4 and 3V8. The Buckeyes demonstrated roster depth with a 8 second margin over Yale in the JV eight and 9 second margin in the varsity four.
The women's crew hosts its first home regatta at Griggs Reservoir next Saturday.
Women's Tennis Wins in Iowa City
The women's tennis team logged a big 6-1 road win on Sunday versus Iowa.
In first and second singles matches with major momentum swings, Anna Sanford defeated Iowa's Elise van Huevelen 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and Shiori Fukuda bested Iowa's Zoe Douglas 6-1, 0-6, 7-6 (7-3).
Buckeyes win! #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/dc9Kf2VZj1
— Ohio State W Tennis (@OhioState_WTEN) March 25, 2018
Adding steadiness to Ohio State's singles attack, Olivia Sneed (7-5, 6-0), Danielle Wolf (6-2, 6-3) and Mary Beth Hurley (6-1, 6-2) won convincing victories in straight sets. The Buckeyes also claimed the doubles point with victories on all three doubles courts.
Unfortunately for the Bucks, the most gripping match of the day went to the Hawkeyes: Iowa's Adorabol Huckleby eked out a 6-4, 7-6 (1-7), 1-0 (10-6) win at fourth singles versus Ohio State freshman Emma DeCoste.
“It was good to get out there and compete,” head coach Melissa Schaub said after the match. “From here on out it’s all Big Ten matches and we need to make sure we are ready to go."
The women's tennis squad improved to 8-4 this season and 2-1 in Big Ten play. The team plays Michigan on Friday.
Other News and Scores
- Men's track won the Power 5 Trailblazer challenge.
- Women's track finished third at the the Power 5 Trailblazer challenge with wins in the 1,500, 400 and 4x400.
- Men's baseball went 2-1 in a home series versus Georgetown.
- Women's softball dropped three games to Indiana.
- Men's volleyball logged its sixth-straight road win versus Lindenwood.
- Men's lacrosse lost a close 9-8 game versus fourth-ranked Notre Dame.
